Sending device for pneumatic-despatch systems.



No. 777,828. PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904. B. G. BATGHBLLER.

SENDING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATOH SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1901. NO MODEL 2 SHEETS-8HEET l.

PATENTED DEG. 13, 1904.

B O. BATGHELLBR.

SENDING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATGH SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 2.

N0 MODEL.

. 1 llwlll lfirmss'sss:

UNITED STATES Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SENDING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC-'DESPATCH SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,328, dated December 13, 1904.

Application filed March 29,1901.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BIRNEY C. BATOI-IELLER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sending Devices for Pneumatic-Despatch Systems, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to pneumatic-despatch systems, and has for its object to provide a sending device of a peculiarly simple and efficient character.

The particular kind of system to which my invention relates is one in which the tube through which the carriers are sent is n0rmally open and without air-current and in which a current of air is admitted to the receiving end of the pipe after the carrier is introduced therein and maintained for a suflieient length of time to propel the carrier to the delivery end; and my invention consists in a novel series of connected appliances by means of which the single motion of a lever closes the receiving end of the pipe, opens a passage thereto from an air-conduit, and sets in operation mechanism whereby the tube is kept closed and the air-current admitted thereto for a determined length of time and then the tube automatically opened and the air-current out off therefrom.

. The nature of my improvements will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings, which illustrate my invention in what I believe to be its best and most practicable form. and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, shown partly in section, on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the receiving end of the tube with its immediate connections shown partly on the section-line 3 3 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4: 4 of Fig. 1.

A indicates a tubular casting forming the receiving end of the tube. It is preferably made with a terminal section of enlarged diameter, as indicated at A, said enlarged portion having a longitudinal openlng A head Serial No. 53,406. (No model.)

ing into the air-chamber (indicated at B) and which in the construction shown is formed of the same casting as the tube end A. The outer end of the tubular casting A, as shown, is made of still greater diameter (see A and internally threaded, (t indicating an externallythreaded annular ring which screws into this threaded portion.

A indicates the inner end of the tubular casting, into which iits the transmissiontube P.

A indicates a bracket serving as a hinge bearing for the lid or gate.

A is a bracket serving to support the pivot for the actuating-lever.

A indicates the pivot supporting the bracket for the latching devices to be described.

A indicates an extension of the casting terminating in the oppositely-extending arms A A which support, respectively, the perforated guide A, the internal bore of which is indicated at a and the annular internallythreaded hub indicated at r a indicating its internal bore.

A indicates a portion of the casting to which is secured the guide-plate H.

B, as already stated, is the air-chamber, clivided into two compartments B and B by the valve-seated portion B The chamber B communicates with the tube-head A through the opening A already described, and has a perforation B", which serves as a guide for the piston-rod E. The chamber B" has an open end closed by a head B, having in it a guide B for the opposite end of the piston -rod. This chamber has also a lateral opening B to which is connected the air-pipe Q.

C is a sleeve of substantially the internal diameter of the pneulnatic tube, this sleeve fitting in the enlarged portion A of the cast ing and having a slot 0, which can be made to register more or less with a slotted opening A so as to regulate the opening between the air-chamber B and the head of the pneumatie tube. The sleeve Cis, as shown, provided with an outer lip U, against which the gate fits, and with an annular flange G which fits into the terminal enlargement A" of the tube-head and is clamped in place by a threaded annulus a.

D indicates the gate for closing the end of the pneumatic tube, the gate being in the construction shown hinged by an arm D to the bracket A formed with an outer rib or projection D of a substantially segmental form, said segment being of such shape as would correspond when the gate is closed with that of a circle drawn from the pivot-point of the actuating-lever. At the rear of this rib or projection D the gate is provided with the heel extension D for the purpose hereinafter described.

E is a valve normally seated on the portion B and closing the connection between the chambers B and B From the front of this valve extends the piston-rod or valve-rod E, working through the perforation B, and from its rear extends the rod E guided in the perforation B.

E indicates a spring acting to hold the valve to its seat.

F is a lever pivoted on the bracket A by the pin f. As shown, it is provided with an enlargement F, which operates against the end of the valve-rod E. The lever is also provided with a projecting pin F carrying, as shown, a roller f which extends over the gate, F indicating the handle of the lever.

F" indicates a spring acting to move and hold the lever in a direction to open the gate and to recede from the valve-rod E.

H is a guide-plate for the lever secured at its ends to the portion A of the casting and to the side of the tube end.

G is a latch pivoted at G and adapted to engage and hold the lever in the position shown in Fig. 1. The latch is thrown into engaging position by the action of a spring G and is provided with a rearward extension G, by means of which it is disengaged with the mechanism to be described.

I and 1 indicate flanged metal caps adapted to be secured together by their outer flanges, so as to form a chamber in which is situated the diaphragm J. The lower section I is clamped against the head A by means of the threaded plug 1 formed with a central perforation, and this lower section is also formed with a perforation 1 with which an air-pipe M communicates, the opposite end of the pipe entering the air-chamber B through the lateral opening B The upper section I is formed with perforations 1* and I. The diaphragm J is by means of plates J and J which clamp its central portion between them, secured to the head K of a dependent rod K, K indicating a nut by which the plates J and J 2 are clamped against the head K. The rod K has a threaded portion K by means ofwhich it is secured to a head L, having a terminal flange L, a prolongation of the rod K (indicated at K*) extending through the guide A. In the perforation 1* is screwed the perforated plug 0, having a threaded cross-bar O in which works the adjusting-screw O of a needle-valve O 0 indicating the handle by which the valve is adjusted and O the perforation in the plug O in which the valve works.

N indicates a sleeve which is secured in the perforation I and has at its lower end a valveseat normally closed by a valve N. N indicating the upwardlyextending valve-stem having a head N against which the spring N works to hold the valve to its seat.

The operation of my device is readily followed. Normally the lever F is in non-operative position, the gate D open, the valve E closed, and the diaphragm J and head L in the position shown in Fig. 1. A carrier is then inserted in the tube-head A and the lever F moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, this motion of the lever first closing the gate D and then the roller F moving over the segment D, holding the gate closed, while the enlargement F presses against the valve-rod E and opens the valve E, permitting air to pass from the chamber 13 to the chamber B and thence through the slots A and G into the tubehead A and thence through the tube, propelling the carrier with it. As soon as the lever F is moved to the position shown in Fig. 1 the latch G engages it, as shown, holding it in that position, and as soon as the valve E is opened the air entering the chamber B passes through the pipe M into the lower part of the diaphragm-chamber, moving the diaphragm up with a speed which corresponds to the escape of air from the upper part of the chamber through the orifice 0, this air escape being nicely regulated by the needle-valve 0 The upward motion of the diaphragm carries with it the rod K and the flanged head L, and toward the end of the upward movement of these parts the flange L comes in contact with the latch G of the latch-lever and throughit moves the latch G to a position in which it disengages the lever F, which is immediately thrust to non-operative position by its spring F*, the valve E closing and the gate D being opened by the impingement of the roller D against the heel of the heel extension D The closing of the valve E cuts off the supply of air to the diaphragm-chamber, the lower portion of which exhausts freely into the openended tube, and the diaphragm and dependent parts move rapidly to normal position as the air is permitted to enter freely into the upper part of the chamber through the valve N, which is held to its seat by only a slight spring-pressure.

Having now described my invention, what I tween the tube and the air-conduit, a handair-valve-openingdevice arranged to be actulever pivoted at a point substantially correated by the movement of the lever to close the sponding with the center of the segment D gate and to close when the lever is retracted, when the gate is closed and having a projeca time-escapement set in operation by the 5 5 tion adapted to press against said segment movement of the lever to close the gate and when moved in one direction and against the operating to release the latch.

heel D when moved in the other direction, 7 e 'w' x s r w means tending to move the lever toward the BlRNLY bAlbHELLEh' heel extension D a latch for holding the lever Witnesses:

I in the position where it presses against the CHAS. F. MYERs,

segment D and holds the gate closed and an I D. STEWART. 

